Business applications are being developed in increasingly greater numbers to increase business productivity. One example type of business application is a line of business (LOB) application. A LOB application is a resource configured to service one or more particular business needs. For example, a LOB system may perform accounting, order processing, supply chain management, resource planning, database management and/or further enterprise-related functions.
Many business applications, including LOB applications, are implemented in client-server computer systems. In such a system, users may interact with the business application at a client computer, and the business application may store related data at a remote database located at the server. A business application may be implemented in a multi-tier (or “n-tier”) architecture, where the presentation, application processing, and data management processes are logically separated across the client-server computer system.
Many business applications implement business rules (or “validation rules”) that ensure the integrity of data. Enforcing business rules throughout client-server computer systems is a complex issue. Developers of business applications that operate in multi-tier architectures frequently have difficulties in configuring business rules throughout the architecture such that data integrity and data security are enforced.